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Re-imaging the signature set.... Again...

Well, just the other day I finished taking new pictures of all the coins in my signature set (save one, long story), and I uploaded the cropped images (I think) yesterday. It gets a little hard to keep track of days when I'm not going to class. I was thrilled to see that I managed to capture most of the details in the images this time. It can be so hard with these coins because almost every one of them combines brilliant and matte/burnished surfaces. I had to do this under low lighting though and even with a long exposure time (0.5 seconds) the pictures still came out darker than I wanted. I'll probably end up cheating, use photoediting software to brighten them up a bit and then re-upload them. I am fairly happy with the new images though. Of the countless attempts that I've made, I think these images show the design of the coins the best. I hope some of you check them out when you get a chance and let me know what you think. I'm not likely to try another round of pictures for a while but you never know and I keep trying to get better.

Later on this evening I'm going to try and finally get that submission boxed up and sent off to NGC so I can get my Kiwis and some more Libertads showing in my sig set. I want to include the text from the original packaging in the coin commentary for each of the kiwis but I'm not sure if I should. On one hand, the original write-ups help emphasize the origins of this set as a means to raise awareness of the plight of the kiwi and raise support for conservation efforts. On the other hand, I don't want to come off like I'm trying to get people to "help save the kiwi" through my set. I like the coins and I like sharing and discussing the origins and the purpose of various sets. However, I don't believe in injecting political, economic, or environmental advocacy into my hobbies. I feel like it poisons the sense of community and kills the fun. It's one of the main reasons I cringe whenever discussions turn towards the economy or "investment advice." ... I could lead the commentary with a disclaimer, but that might be tacky... As always, I remain open to outside input if it is offered.

My stepfather and I located another nice coin for the set of Texas Independence Centennial Commems that he wants, the 1937-S in MS65. He's a 5th generation Texan and he really loves things related to the history of the state. We're over half way to a complete set that I think looks pretty darn nice. It's going to be all MS65 or MS66, mostly non-toners. Depending on what he decides, we may acquire most of the remaining 5 coins in the next day or two. A pretty good opportunity is presenting itself.

I haven't made any new purchases for myself in the last week or so but I'm strongly considering one or two things. I'll let all of you know how that goes. All of my buying is currently directed at my Sig set right now. I'm amazed at how well I've managed to stay focused on developing that set for the last month or so. I'll have to think about getting the new presidents for 2009 soon but other than that it's modern government-issued silver bullion all the way right now. Hopefully you guys won't get tired of hearing about it before I get tired of talking about it for a while.

I'm attaching an image of the 2009 Britannia reverse. Like I said, the new pictures are a little dark but they give you a nice idea of what the coin is like. Beautiful coin. I'm really hoping to be able to acquire the rest of the set in the not-too-distant future.

Strike when the deals are good. Have the strength to pass when the price is bad and the coin is ugly. Never buy anything you won't want next year. Happy Hunting.

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